Video - Forgotten Weapons

Ethiopian Oddities: A Long Lee / SMLE Hybrid

November 23, 2021 Ian McCollum 3

Today’s Ethiopian Oddity is a rifle that began its like as an early Lee Enfield MkI made by London Small Arms. It has the original buttstock, early style safety, volley sights, and magazine cutoff from […]

Winchester Reference Collection: Uruguayan M1908 Short Rifle

November 22, 2021 Ian McCollum 9

Uruguay first adopted a Mauser rifle in the 1880s, with the single-shot Mauser model 1871. After an abortive attempt to update those rifles to a small bore smokeless powder cartridge (the Dovitiis conversion), they opted […]

Finnish Brutality 2021 Day 1: Featuring The Infamous Trench Stage!

November 19, 2021 Ian McCollum 13

Finnish Brutality took place on October 23 and 24 of this year, at the Loppi shooting range north of Helsinki. It was run by Varusteleka, the largest and definitely the awesomest military and outdoor supplier […]

Throwback Thursday: A .22 Rifle for John Wayne

November 18, 2021 Ian McCollum 18

Today I’m reposting part of an interview I did with L James “Jim” Sullivan back in 2014. Aside from being one of the two men who did the conversion of the AR-10 into the AR-15, […]

M44 Submachine Gun: Finland Copies the Soviet PPS-43

November 17, 2021 Ian McCollum 31

The kp/31 Suomi submachine gun in Finnish service was an outstanding weapon, but it was slow and expensive to manufacture. When Finnish forces began capturing Soviet PPS-42 and PPS-43 submachine guns form the Soviets in […]

Best SMG of World War Two: The Beretta M38A

November 15, 2021 Ian McCollum 28

The Beretta Model 38A was one of the very best submachine guns of World War Two. Designed by veteran Beretta engineer Tullio Marengoni (who designed most of Beretta’s pistols as well as the Beretta M1918 […]

Belgian Black Rifle: the FNC at the Range

November 13, 2021 Ian McCollum 29

Today, we’re taking the FN FNC out to the range to see how it handles…

FN FNC: The Belgian 5.56mm NATO Carbine

November 12, 2021 Ian McCollum 50

The FNC (Fabrique Nationale Carabine) was FN’s followup to the unsuccessful CAL rifle. Chambered for the newly-adopted 5.56mm NATO cartridge, the FNC uses a long stroke gas piston system very reminiscent of the AK, combined […]

Dodge Patent Prototype Rolling Block Rifle

November 11, 2021 Ian McCollum 28

William Dodge and his brother were inventors in Washington DC who in the 1870s patented a bunch of different improvements to the Remington Rolling Block, among other guns. This particular one I cannot identify with […]

Portuguese Army Lugers: From Manuel II to World War Two

November 10, 2021 Ian McCollum 12

Portugal first tested the Luger pistol in 1901, and its commission on self-loading pistols recommended the design for adoption in 1904. No money was available at the time, but a second commission again recommended the […]